The US Problem
The US Problem
An introductory article that I intend to follow up with more details in later writings. I hope to release the follow ups at least once per week. I will also update links to follow-on stories as they are written.
Politics
We face many US problems today, first is politics dividing the country into groups instead of having a single discussion. Different opinions are fair, but until we can all be Americans, not political labels that refuse to talk, we are head for bad times.
At this point, the House and Senate cannot agree, not sure that the Executive likes anybody and who knows what will happen to the Judiciary. I believe that division can only bring about chaos. The sad thing is that I think most can agree on problems but will not explore solutions as a team.
At the core are Lobbyists and the insane amount of money it takes to achieve office. Limit the amount that can be legally spent in a campaign, adjusted for the level, and open up the field so that ideas can be heard, and money does not drive the winner.
Besides, with the amount spent on the campaigns themselves, just look at all the good that could be done. Once Lobbyist groups are the prominent supporters, all of a sudden, some debts will be owed, and there goes the best chance of discussion. By introducing budget limits to campaigns, the field becomes much broader, and everyone is essentially an independent. We must strive for the country and not by a party and their various debts.
Race, LBGT and Women
Unfortunately, we do have a race, LBGT and Women problems in this country, and again I blame the label. We should all be Americans. Any group that calls themselves “fill in the blank”-Americans not only isolate themselves but tend to draw fire to themselves, as being something first and then American.
Labels apply to us all, such as uneducated white Americans as well as African Americans, Upper-Class Americans, Rural Americans, and so forth. Declare yourself as a separate group, and you’ll be treated separately. Not to say we should ever give up various cultures, for one thing, I like food too much, as well as music and literature.
I am also a big believer in History as it gives us insight into the good and bad that has happened and how we can use that knowledge to further better living for all. In the end, we are all humans; Oriental descent does not make you smarter; Black decent does not make you a better athlete; Middle East descent does not make you a terrorist.
LBGT and Women are also equals among us; not abnormal in anyway. We all have various capacities based on our individual gifts and interests. Appreciate other cultures for what they have to offer, food, music, literature, and do your best to walk through their History to empathize with the hardships they have faced. Now embrace them all as Americans. We need to avoid the caste or hate systems we have in place.
Religion
Almost as bad as Racism, keep in mind the holy books they put so much faith in were written, developed, and translated to best suit the needs of those in power. At the core of the vast majority of religions is that, to borrow the phrase from ‘Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure,’ “Be excellent to each other.” Not to say that religion is terrible; faith is a good thing; it helps the individual understand self and well-being and allows communities to interact in kind ways.
By all means, hold on to your faith, whatever it happens to be, just keep in mind others may have different faiths and be respectful. Remember, a “God bless you” or a “Go with God” is just a friendly hello, not as some will say a curse you for not being of that religion. Religion gets a bad name for past bad acts, but look further than that and try to understand the times as they were.
Also, take offense if someone should tell you are going to hell if you don’t believe in … Avoid making a religion a race; study their History to get a better appreciation.
Wealth
Do not lump wealth in with rich; wealth is more of a place of continued good fortune for you and your heirs. Rich comes and goes; wealth is for the long haul. Wealth is also responsible for the existing caste system in the US and around the world.
The wealthy tend to lead and create laws to protect themselves from losing any wealth. These laws lead to exclusion of newcomers, a real shame since they may have much to offer. The best way to move up in the wealth chain is through education on money and patience.
First, educate and pace yourself towards wealth. Learn some of the basics. Pay yourself first, and do not buy things you cannot afford. Pay yourself first is a skill lost shortly after WWII with the coming of Social Security and long careers with the same company which offered pensions. Pay yourself first is the exercise of going through your paycheck expenses, weekly, bi-weekly, monthly doesn’t matter, then carve out as much as you can to pay yourself first. Currently done via 401Ks, assuming your company offers these, if not set up separate savings account that the first x% or Y dollars get put in before paying anything else.
Set a goal for saving up three months’ worth of funds and then set a further objective when that account hits three months plus one month extra, look to take that extra money and invest. Investing in the stock market has gotten much easier to do with sliced shares instead of whole shares, so you just put in an order of $100 of Apple and $150 in Tesla and $100 in General Mills. This “slice option” allows you to buy partial shares of stocks you could not otherwise afford.
As for picking investments, look to diversify a bit, Apple and General Mills, for example. Chose stocks that pay dividends, like General Mills or Verizon, and some stocks you just believe in, such as solar energy, CostCo, or Home Depot. If you and many other people are using or consuming their products, you will likely pick a winner.
Lastly, do some research into the company. Do they have plans that make sense, and do they treat their people well? Are they on the cusp of what you think is the future? Next comes patience; you will not be wealthy overnight. But, money does add up just as fast as it subtracts.
Guns
You will never have full gun options the way the military does, not to mention the forces. But if you like to hunt, go to the range, or just like the machinery, then go for it. I cannot think of a time I needed a high count, high-speed gun.
Mine are all single action, meaning you have to pull the hammer back before you can fire. I would do the same for the police; as a uniformed beat cop, there is simply no need to have a gun that can fire 12–15 times before reloading, as it tends to have the firearms emptied towards their target.
Reserve the higher capacity guns for specially trained teams. The firepower carried by cops tends to gravitate towards shooting first. I say towards because many reports will detail 200+ shots fired (multiple cops), and three hit the suspect.
Not to mention the times it is decided to shoot someone rather than talk them down. Besides the horror of a kid getting a hold of a weapon and accentually shooting themselves or a friend, my biggest fear of guns is being hit by a stray bullet.
Likewise, if a criminal is caught with any sort of gun, I would recommend a stiff sentence that only grows with the type of gun they were carrying. For lesser, non-violent crimes, I say arrest them, book them, and make them go through the pains of court, but then pretty much let them off on parole.
Unless, of course, they were armed, then it is back to the stiff penalty and same thing for carrying a fake or unloaded gun. Criminals need a good reason not to arm themselves. So, to all you responsible gun owners out there, enjoy, and if you are even thinking about getting into any kind of trouble, do not take a gun.
Environment
The earth will outlast us all, so don’t think of it as saving the planet, think of it as saving ourselves. Plus, think of all of the fun and scientific research and products that are done and made. We should not give up our way of life; just find ways of making it better and cleaner for those to follow. Air and water are the two most significant near-term issues, and yes, man has done lots of damage.
I expect that land will be the next victim if we do not find ways to change. Let the kids go camping and know that if a stream is clear and running, it is good to drink; let farmers and ranchers access clean and adequate water for the crops. Let the air be nourishing to breathe.
Do all this all while traveling, enjoying a comfortable home, and all of the other things we take for granted. Not only better for our children and us but great for the economy and strides in science.
Health Care, College and Public Service
I am all for universal health care, mainly to support the jobless and freelancers — ditto with free state-run Universities. The best way to improve all of the issues beforehand is a well-cared-for public at large. The big question is how to pay for it.
Merely throwing money at it is a bad idea; the government, local, state, and federal should find ways to mitigate these costs. One solution would be a leveling of taxes, not just income but also transactional, so if you want that expensive house, car, boat, whatever, pay a base tax.
If you can afford it, this tax should not be a problem and make it a little proportional; for example, houses under $450,000 would pay a 5% tax, up to $1.5M an 8% tax, and above $1.5M a 10% tax. Ditto with income, the money you bring in every year, $0 to $30k no tax, $30k-$140K a 15% tax, and above $140K an 18% tax.
The other mitigator would be public service for university costs, for every year you spend in school, you would owe a year to the payer and accept an assignment where you are most needed. This plan of local vs. federal grants gives some flexibility in who is paying for your school.
If local or state and you get a teaching degree, you will be assigned a school where you are most needed within that jurisdiction, with a salary and a housing cost to cover rent In the assignment area.
Not only do you educate those who might not otherwise be but extend the idea of us being Americans first. After service, you are, of course, allowed to pick your next job anywhere you would like.
Please note this provides open the options for paying for school for yourself and leaves open the choice of private healthcare, in addition to the public, which you already enjoy. But the above is only one option; it takes a fair debate to determine the numbers and services required.
I hope this has provided some food for thought, and I intend to have a dedicated piece on each subject above released over time. Until then, stop with the labels, read some history, and be excellent to each other.
As for me, I am a reasonably well-educated engineer, white and trying to start my own consulting business, The Iceni Group, LLC, focused on Project Management, on a minimal budget with only a handful of people on which to rely. Look for me on LinkedIn and my web site The Iceni Group.
None of these are meant to be a real solution, just a place to start the dialog. I’ll have supporters and detractors, all are welcome. Biggest point is to solve problems, we need to sit down and discuss them.
